Thai Style Chicken Soup

(from idahogardener’s recipe box)

From Debbie Cook, and Cook’s Illustrated but tweaked. Peel the ginger by rubbing with a spoon. I leave the ginger in and just eat around it.

Serves 6 people

Categories: Soup

Ingredients

  • 1 t vegetable oil
  • 5 lemon grass stalks, tough outer leaves removed, bottom 5 inches halved lengthwise and then sliced thin crosswise. I kind of crushed them, too
  • 3 large shallots, chopped (or substitute one clove of garlic and 1 small onion
  • 1 bunch of cilantro
  • 3 T fish sauce
  • 4 cups chicken broth
  • 2 14 oz. cans coconut milk, shaken
  • 3 T. sugar
  • 1/2 lb white mushrooms, sliced
  • 1 lb boneless skinless chicken breasts, sliced thin on the bias
  • 1 inch of fresh ginger sliced
  • 3 T lime juice
  • 2 t Thai red curry paste
  • For garnish
  • fresh cilantro leaves
  • 2 small serrano chiles, sliced thin
  • 2 scallions, sliced thin
  • lime wedges

Directions

  1. Heat oil in large saucepan over medium heat until just shimmering. Add lemon grass, shallots, cilantro and 1 T. fish sauce (and it will smell totally skanky). Cook, stirring frequently until just softened, 2-5 minutes, don’t let them brown.

  2. Stir in chicken broth and 1 can coconut milk, bring to simmer over high heat. Cover, reduce heat to low and simmer about 10 minutes. Strain broth and discard solids in strainer.. Return broth mixture to the pan.

  3. Return pan to medium high heat. Stir remaining can coconut milk and sugar into broth mix and bring to a simmer. Reduce heat to medium, add mushrooms, and cook about 2-3 minutes. Add chicken and cook, stirring constantly, until no longer pink, 103 minutes. Remove from heat.

  4. Combine lime juice, curry paste, and remaining 2T fish sauce in a small bowl. Stir into soup. Ladle soup into bowls and garnish.

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